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Mercat Cross
A mercat cross is the Scots language, Scots name for the market cross found frequently in Scotland, Scottish cities, towns and villages where historically the right to hold a regular market or fair was granted by the monarch, a bishop or a Baron#Scotland, baron. It therefore served a secular purpose as a symbol of authority, and was an indication of a burgh's relative prosperity. Historically, the term dates from the period before Acts of Union 1707, 1707, when the Kingdom of Scotland was an independent Sovereign state, state, but it has been applied loosely to later structures built in the traditional architectural style of crosses or structures fulfilling the function of marking a settlement's focal point. Historical documents often refer simply to "the cross" of whichever town or village is mentioned. Today, there are around 126 known examples of extant crosses in Scotland, though the number rises if later imitations are added. History The earliest documentary reference ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mercat Cross, Edinburgh
The Mercat Cross of Edinburgh is a market cross, which stands in Parliament Square, Edinburgh, Parliament Square next to St Giles' Cathedral, facing the Royal Mile#High Street, High Street in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. Description and history The current Mercat Cross, mercat cross is of Victorian era, Victorian origin, but was built close to the site occupied by the original. The Cross is first mentioned in a charter of 1365 which indicates that it stood on the south side of the High Street about from the east end of St. Giles'. In 1617, it was moved to a position a few yards (metres) down the High Street now marked by "an octagonal arrangement of cobble stones" (actually Sett (paving), setts). This is the position shown on Gordon of Rothiemay's map of 1647 (see external link below). In 1756, the Cross was demolished and parts of the pillar re-erected in the grounds of Drum House, Gilmerton. A monument now stands there and on it a plaque that reads: "Ere ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kingdom Of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a Anglo-Scottish border, land border to the south with the Kingdom of England. During the Middle Ages, Scotland engaged in intermittent conflict with England, most prominently the Wars of Scottish Independence, which saw the Scots assert their independence from the English. Following the annexation of the Hebrides and the Northern Isles from Norway in 1266 and 1472 respectively, and the capture of Berwick upon Tweed, Berwick by England in 1482, the territory of the Kingdom of Scotland corresponded to that of modern-day Scotland, bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel (British Isles), North Channel and Irish Sea to the southwest. In 1603, James VI of Scotland became King of England, joini ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Branks
A scold's bridle, sometimes called a witch's bridle, a gossip's bridle, a brank's bridle, or simply branks, was an instrument of punishment, as a form of public humiliation. It was an iron muzzle in an iron framework that enclosed the head (although some bridles were masks that depicted suffering). A bridle-bit (or curb-plate), about in size, was slid into the mouth and pressed down on top of the tongue, often with a spike on the tongue, as a compress. It functioned to silence the wearer from speaking entirely, to prevent the women from nagging. The scold's bridle was used on women. This prevented speaking and resulted in many unpleasant side effects for the wearer, including excessive salivation and fatigue in the mouth. For extra humiliation, a bell could also be attached to draw in crowds. The wearer was then led around town by a leash. Origin and purpose England and Scotland First recorded in Scotland in 1567, the branks were also used in England and its colonies. The kirk ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jougs
The jougs, juggs, or joggs (, from Latin , a yoke) is a metal collar formerly used as an instrument of punishment in Scotland, the Netherlands and other countries. When the soldiers of Oliver Cromwell's army occupied Scotland, they were horrified at the church using such a punishment, and many were removed from church walls and destroyed.Martin, Daniel (2016). ''Upper Clydesdale. A History and Guide'' Birlinn, Edinburgh, Scotland. p. 22. Purpose The jougs was an iron collar fastened by a short chain to a wall, often of the parish church, or to a tree or mercat cross. The collar was placed around the offender's neck and fastened by a padlock. Time spent in the jougs was intended to shame an offender publicly. Jougs were used for ecclesiastical as well as civil offences. Some surviving examples can still be seen in their original locations in Scottish towns and villages. Jougs may be the origin of the later slang word "jug", meaning prison. Examples Sir Walter Scott rescued th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
General Election
A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. General elections typically occur at regular intervals as mandated by a country's constitution or electoral laws, and may include elections for a legislature and sometimes other positions such as a directly elected president. In many jurisdictions, general elections can coincide with other electoral events such as Local government, local, Region, regional, or Supranational union, supranational elections. For example, on 25 May 2014, Belgian voters simultaneously elected their national parliament, 21 members of the European Parliament, and regional parliaments. In Politics of the United States, the United States, "general election" has a slightly different, but related meaning: the ordinary electoral competition following the selection of candid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stirling
Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal Stirling Castle, citadel, the medieval old town with its merchants and tradesmen, the Stirling Old Bridge, Old Bridge and the port. Located on the River Forth, Stirling is the administrative centre for the Stirling (council area), Stirling council area, and is traditionally the county town and historic county of Stirlingshire. Stirling's key position as the lowest bridging point of the River Forth before it broadens towards the Firth of Forth made it a focal point for travel north or south. It has been said that "Stirling, like a huge brooch clasps Scottish Highlands, Highlands and Scottish Lowlands, Lowlands together". The city's status as "Gateway to the Highlands" also historically lent it great strategic importance—the credo "he who ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They sometimes depended on grants of letters patent from a monarch or other ruler to enforce the flow of trade to their self-employed members, and to retain ownership of tools and the supply of materials, but most were regulated by the local government. Guild members found guilty of cheating the public would be fined or banned from the guild. A lasting legacy of traditional guilds are the guildhalls constructed and used as guild meeting-places. Typically the key "privilege" was that only guild members were allowed to sell their goods or practice their skill within the city. There might be controls on minimum or maximum prices, hours of trading, numbers of apprentices, and many other things. Critics argued that these rules reduced Free market, fre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Town Crier
A town crier, also called a bellman, is an officer of a royal court or public authority who makes public pronouncements as required. Duties and functions The town crier was used to make public announcements in the streets. Criers often dressed elaborately, by a tradition dating to the 18th century, in a red and gold coat, white breeches, black boots and a tricorne hat. In English-speaking countries, they carried a handbell to attract people's attention, as they shouted the words "Oyez, Oyez, Oyez!" before making their announcements. The word "Oyez" means "hear ye," which is a call for silence and attention. ''Oyez'' derives from the Anglo-Norman word for ''listen'' (modern French, ''oyez'', infinitive, ''ouïr'', but has been largely replaced by the verb ''écouter''). The proclamations book in Chester from the early 19th century records this as "O Yes, O Yes!". History Europe Prior to widespread literacy, town criers were the means of communication with the people of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shopkeeper
A shopkeeper is a retail merchant or tradesman; one who owns or operates a small store or shop. Generally, shop employees are not shopkeepers, but are often incorrectly referred to as such. At larger companies, a shopkeeper is usually referred to as a manager, since the owner is not able to manage the business being a single shopkeeper, so this term could apply to larger firms (in particular, multiple shops) generally and be a separate duty. Job descriptions Shopkeepers may manage their own independent corner shop or run a franchise store on behalf of a retail chain (see Dealer (franchising)). Unlike store managers who usually work for a large retailer, shopkeepers normally have overall responsibility for a store. Independent shopkeepers include (but are not limited to) grocers, corner shopkeepers, newsagents, butchers, bakers, booksellers, florists, and antique dealers. A shopkeeper may serve clients at a counter and carry out other duties such as taking customer payment ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sundial
A sundial is a horology, horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the position of the Sun, apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the word, it consists of a flat plate (the ''dial'') and a gnomon, which casts a shadow onto the dial. As the Sun diurnal motion, appears to move through the sky, the shadow aligns with different hour-lines, which are marked on the dial to indicate the time of day. The ''style'' is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, though a single point or ''nodus'' may be used. The gnomon casts a broad shadow; the shadow of the style shows the time. The gnomon may be a rod, wire, or elaborately decorated metal casting. The style must be polar alignment, parallel to the axis of the Earth's rotation for the sundial to be accurate throughout the year. The style's angle from horizontal is equal to the sundial's geographical latitude. The term ''sundial'' can r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inverkeithing
Inverkeithing ( ; ) is a coastal town, parish and historic Royal burgh in Fife, Scotland. The town lies on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, northwest of Edinburgh city centre and south of Dunfermline. A town of ancient origin, Inverkeithing became an important centre of trade and pilgrimage during the Scotland in the Middle Ages, Middle Ages. Inverkeithing was granted Royal burgh status by 1161 and was the meeting place of the Convention of Royal Burghs from 1487 to 1552. The town witnessed the Battle of Inverkeithing in 1651, a conflict in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Following the Industrial Revolution in Scotland, Industrial Revolution, Inverkeithing developed industries in distilling, ship breaking and quarrying. Inverkeithing town centre is a Conservation area (United Kingdom), conservation area, home to List of listed buildings in Inverkeithing, Fife, 41 listed historic buildings including the best-preserved medieval friary in Scotland and one of the finest ex ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ruthwell Cross
The Ruthwell Cross is a stone Anglo-Saxon cross probably dating from the 8th century, when the village of Ruthwell, now in Scotland, was part of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria. It is the most famous and elaborate Anglo-Saxon monumental sculpture,Wilson, 72. and possibly contains the oldest surviving text, predating any manuscripts containing Old English poetry#Old English poetry, Old English poetry. It has been described by Nikolaus Pevsner thus: "The crosses of Bewcastle Cross, Bewcastle and Ruthwell ... are the greatest achievement of their date in the whole of Europe." The cross was smashed by Presbyterian iconoclasm, iconoclasts in 1642, and the pieces left in the churchyard until they were restored and re-erected in the manse garden in 1823 by Henry Duncan (1774–1846), Henry Duncan. In 1887 it was moved into its current location inside Ruthwell church, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, when the apse which holds it was specially built. It was designated a scheduled monumen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
